Looking for a simple dish to cook on a busy weekday or serve to guests? Try our recipe for The Best Oven-Baked Lamb Chops.
This recipe evokes memories of navigating a Turkish supermarket to shop for provisions for a few days of cooking aboard a sailboat. The meat counter was an unexpected stunner, packed with gorgeous cuts in shades of crimson and maroon, rosy hues of pork and veal, and creamy tan and brown organ meats. Cooking under sail was entirely new to me, so I set my mind on lamb rib chops as a familiar cut I hoped to confidently sear on the boat’s slightly precarious grill. But despite the splendor of that meat case, no racks of lamb ribs were visible. I spoke zero Turkish, so I smiled as charmingly as I could at the butcher and said “lamb” while pointing to the side of my ribcage. The butcher smiled back just as warmly but shook her head, then pointed a few times to her white-clad shoulder. She pulled out a pair of beautifully marbled, blade-like cuts from the case, giving me my first introduction to lamb shoulder chops.
Similarly to what I ended up cooking on the boat, this recipe for lamb chops leans into classic Mediterranean flavors: rosemary, garlic, and lime or lemon, with a good hit of olive oil and salt and pepper. It’s a simple mix but one that’s excellent with lamb’s bold flavor, plus it makes a good tenderizer. You can marinate the meat for as little as an hour, but aim for at least overnight and up to two days. Shoulder cuts are meaty and delicious but not as tender as some other cuts. Opt for chops about a half-inch thick if you can so that the marinade can really penetrate.
Apart from the heavenly flavor (and aroma!), the best part of this oven recipe is its reliability, which is especially nice if you’re new to this cut. Cooking the lamb first in a blazing-hot skillet gives you tasty caramelization on the outside, and a quick transfer to the oven means it finishes under predictable, controlled heat to your desired doneness. For shoulder chops, I don’t recommend you cook them beyond medium; any further and you’ll get into chewy territory. And make sure you take the chops out of the pan immediately when they’re done, or they may overcook from the residual heat.
Lamb chops: shoulder, rib, and loin
The three most common types of lamb chops are easy to recognize. And while you can often use chops interchangeably if you adjust the cooking time, buying the one your recipe is written for is the safest bet. Shoulder chops come from the blade area of the lamb. They’re deeply marbled with fat (this helps to keep them juicy) and are flat and often irregularly shaped with slices or knots of shoulder bone. Rib chops, often sold in racks of eight, are small bone-in chops consisting of a slender rib with most of the meat snuggled against one curved end. They’re sometimes called lamb lollipops, a nod to the temptation to pick them up and eat the meat right off the bone. And loin chops, sometimes called lamb T-bones, come from the short-loin area along the animal’s back. These palm-sized or smaller chops have two chunks of lean meat separated by the bone. For our oven-baked lamb chops, you could definitely use any of these cuts, but be sure to check the meat carefully and often while it bakes to avoid over- or under-cooking.
How do I store leftovers?
If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, cool them and refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can reheat them anyway you like, but remember that they will dry out a bit no matter how you do it—stovetop, microwave, or oven. One alternative is to slice or dice the meat and use it at room temperature in salads, sandwiches, or bowls. If you prefer to freeze the cooked chops, wrap each individually in plastic and then foil and freeze them for up to 3 months. Let frozen chops thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating them.
Serving suggestions
You can keep the Mediterranean theme going with sides like this gorgeous Mediterranean Salad With Pomegranate Lemon Dressing or luscious Greek Lemon Potatoes, a recipe that conveniently roasts at 400°F like the lamb chops do. Roasted Carrots With Chardonnay is simple and yet wonderfully flavorful and a dish you can make with just about zero cleanup. And this lovely pilaf-like Baked Rice is another easy but elegant recipe that’s perfect with lamb chops.
The Best Oven-Baked Lamb Chops
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 sprigs of rosemary leaves removed and chopped
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1/2 lime or lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pound lamb shoulder chops about 1/2-inch thick
Instructions
- Mix the oil, garlic, rosemary, lemon zest, lime or lemon juice, and salt and pepper in a shallow bowl.
- Place the chops in the bowl and coat thoroughly with the marinade.
- Cover and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
- When you’re ready to cook your chops, preheat the oven to 400°F and take the chops out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature while the oven preheats.
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. When very hot, add the chops and brown on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the chops reach your desired doneness, about 2 to 4 minutes for rare to medium chops, 5 to 7 minutes for medium to medium-well.
- Take the skillet out of the oven. Immediately place the chops on a plate to prevent overcooking. Let rest 5 minutes and serve.
Leave a Comment